Freeway Rail Plan to Be Discussed at 2 Public Hearings : Transportation: The proposed elevated-track line is one of two mass-transit alternatives under review.

A controversial plan to construct a rail line 20 feet above the Ventura Freeway will be the subject of two public hearings to be held in the San Fernando Valley this week by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission.

The plan is one of two mass-transit alternatives being considered for carrying people back and forth between the west San Fernando Valley and one of two Metro Rail stations planned for North Hollywood and Universal City.

The other proposed rail route, the so-called Burbank branch line, would follow a section of Southern Pacific railroad’s right of way from North Hollywood to Warner Center. It would be built as a subway in residential neighborhoods and aboveground in commercial areas, said Judy Schwartze, the commission’s manager of government and public affairs.

The commission approved the environmental soundness of the Burbank branch line in March, 1990. However, members are still considering an alternative plan to put the rail line over the freeway by constructing an elevated monorail, magnetic-levitation line or automated railway, Schwartze said.

County Supervisor Mike Antonovich has pushed for the overhead system, saying it would cost less and could be geared up for operation sooner than a subway.

But homeowners in neighborhoods next to the freeway have opposed the elevated system, questioning its safety in earthquakes and saying it would create noise and traffic problems. On top of that, it would be unsightly, they said.

“They will loom over their back yards, right through residential neighborhoods,” said Gerald L. Silver, president of the Homeowners of Encino. “This is what we call visual pollution.”

The commission completed a preliminary draft of the environmental impact report on the overhead route in September and will take public comments on the report until Jan. 10, Schwartze said.

After that, the commission will prepare the final report, in which public concerns will be addressed. That document will be made public around March and discussed at another public hearing. The commission will then begin weighing the two alternatives.

Meanwhile, the commission will review proposals from private firms describing how they would construct the projects and estimating costs, Schwartze said.

The first public hearing on the draft environmental report will be held Tuesday from 4:30 to 9 p.m. at Canoga Park High School, 6850 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Another hearing is scheduled from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Walter Reed Junior High School, 4525 Irvine Ave., North Hollywood.

People who cannot attend the hearings may submit their comments in writing to Schwartze, at the transportation commission, 818 W. 7th St., Los Angeles 90017. They can also leave comments by calling (213) 244-6905.